Fresh investigations have revealed that international vessels plying Nigerian waters may have been advised not to source for armed guard to man their vessels except those guards are supplied by the Nigerian Navy in order to avoid liabilities and delays.
This fresh alert was issued by the largest international shipping association; Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) to all of its members cutting across more than 120 countries.
Fresh investigations have revealed that international vessels plying Nigerian waters may have been advised not to source for armed guard to man their vessels except those guards are supplied by the Nigerian Navy in order to avoid liabilities and delays.
This fresh alert was issued by the largest international shipping association; Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) to all of its members cutting across more than 120 countries.
BIMCO has warned its members operating vessels within the Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters to be aware that they may be at risk of potentially significant liabilities and delays if they employ armed guards on board their vessels who are sourced from the Nigerian Marine Police, the Nigerian Police or the Joint Task Force (JTF)
BIMCO is the largest international association representing shipowners and its membership controls around 65 percent of the worlds tonnage with main objective of protecting its members through quality information and advice.
The association, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has all relevant United Nations organs and also maintains a close dialogue with governments and diplomatic representations around the world including maritime administrations and regulatory institutions.
The association told its members that the Nigerian Navy maintains sole primacy and authority on Nigerian territorial waters and the EEZ and that it does not provide or permit armed guards on merchant vessels.
Following this warning, Shipping Position Daily gathered that the Navy has allegedly being preventing the employment of armed guards on board vessels and this has reportedly resulted in the arrest of members of some Marine Police and consequent delays to the vessel and unresolved liabilities placed on the owners.
According to BIMCO, “this appears to apply regardless of whether the armed guard policemen are sourced by an agent or a Private Maritime Security Company (PMSC)
There have also been reports of incidents of “blue on blue” where policemen have opened fire on Nigerian Naval vessels believing they were pirates and where seafarers have been killed or injured in the crossfire.
Apparently, the Marine Police and Police only have primacy and jurisdiction in“riverine” areas and ports and harbors out to the fairway buoy and no further. The Joint Task Force (JTF) against terrorists, is a combined task force of navy and police, with a specific role to counter oil theft and smuggling in the Delta”.
"The JTF is understood to have no jurisdiction outside this remit. The transit of supply vessels up the Bonny River to Port Harcourt is arranged by the JTF and these ships go in convoys (for a charge) whilst the offshore oil export Terminals are patrolled by private security units or the Nigerian Navy"
It would seem that the only legitimate method of acquiring armed security protection in territorial waters and the EEZ of Nigeria is by utilizing the services of the Nigerian Navy (although, this seems to exclude armed guards on board vessels)"
BIMCO has however said that it is presently seeking written confirmation of these facts.
"We received word on Friday that Nigerian Navy personnel had boarded a tanker at Lagos Roads, arresting the ex-pat Maritime Security Liaison Officer and the Nigerian Marine Police who had been contracted to guard the vessel. At present, we have yet to receive confirmation of this, but it represents a worrying new development in a region still suffering significant rates of maritime crime"
Ideally, private maritime security companies (PMSC) would be allowed to provide the same level of service currently offered to clients in other regions, such as the Indian Ocean.
However, given the political realities of the region, this is unlikely to happen. As a result, hijacking and crew kidnap still present a very real risk to the merchant marine community”.
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